‘Silk Stalkings’ On Hulu Makes For A Perfect Steamy Summer Binge

I’m not sure a show like Silk Stalkings could be made today. The steamy procedural about two sexy detectives solving seedy crimes of passion in luxurious settings was very much a product of its time — 1991 — and its time slot. It was originally a network show, meant for after midnight viewing on CBS in a slot called “Crimetime After Primetime.” Then, after two seasons, Silk Stalkings jumped to USA, where it became its own sort of legend. Talk to any older millennial and they’ll probably remember the thrill of sneaking in viewings. What happened on the show? Who remembers. What’s burned into all our memories is the totally tawdry opening credits.

GIF: CBS/USA

The original run of Silk Stalkings starred Rob Estes as detective Christopher Lorenzo, a soft-hearted Casanova who gives his exes cars upon breakups, and Mitzi Kapture as detective Rita Lee Lance, who uses her sexuality as much as possible to nail her suspects. What’s fascinating is how their dynamic upends the usual clichés. Lance is the hard-boiled detective of the two. She’s a rebel haunted by personal tragedy — an aneurysm that could kill her at any time – and she refuses to play by the rules. It’s a role usually played by the stone-faced middle-aged male lead of a crime drama, but here it’s filled by a woman.

What else does Silk Stalkings do differently? Instead of a prolonged “Will They, Won’t They?”, this show tells us straight up that THEY PLAN TO in the pilot. When will they hook up? Oh, as soon as they aren’t partners. The one problem? Lorenzo is cheekily worried that he’s so good in bed that he’ll blow that aneurysm in Lance’s head. So basically you have two hot detectives who know they’re hot and aren’t ashamed of their flirtation, dealing with sex-based crimes in a humid city of sin. It’s fun and that’s what’s so shocking about it now.

GIF: CBS/USA

Law & Order: SVU deals with similar subject matter with a grim clinical tone befitting the crimes, but Silk Stalkings approaches rape, murder, and sexual assault with a bit of irreverence. The show is well aware of the danger and the horror of such crimes — it even puts Lance in direct danger of being raped in the first episode — but it constantly winks at the audience. It wallows in the decadence of sex parties and inappropriate flirtations. It loves double entendres and exploitive angles. It is a dirty, naughty show.

Ironically, that’s why it makes for a wonderfully trashy binge-watch in summer 2017. All 8 seasons of Silk Stalkings is now available to stream on Hulu. In between the sexy beach bodies and the simply drawn murder mysteries, it makes for an easy escape from the stress of modern life. It’s the kind of show that’s ideal for late night unwinding, which is kind of funny because it was meant for exactly that.